Moka pot: Making coffee the Italian way, our guide to the moka pot

Are you looking for something stronger than a filter coffee but lighter than an espresso? With the moka pot, you can make a cup of coffee that resembles an espresso, without having to shell out for an expensive specialist machine. But how do you know you’re choosing the right moka pot? From the size of the pot to the heating method, plus a quick run-through on how to make coffee the Italian way: it’s all in our definitive guide to the moka pot!

Choosing your moka pot

How many cups? First and foremost, keep in mind that the standard capacity for a cup of coffee with a moka pot is 50 ml. Therefore, a 4-cup cafetière has a capacity of just 200 ml (bear in mind that a standard mug is 250ml). Does that seem small? Well, Italy is the land of the espresso! Your choice on the size of the cafetière will depend on the number of people in your household, how often you all drink coffee and in what quantities. Do you regularly drink coffee with your friends and family? Then you’ll need a bigger moka pot. A one- or two-cup moka pot might be enough for everyday use, but it will quickly prove too small if you like to host coffee breaks with friends and family.

Which material? Almost all moka pots are made from one of two materials: aluminium or stainless steel.

• Aluminium: light, inexpensive and a good conductor of heat, aluminium has always been a popular choice for moka pot manufacturers. It’s suitable for all heat sources (except induction).
• Stainless steel: healthy and hardwearing, stainless steel is more resistant than aluminium to damage caused by heat, bumps or scratches. Another advantage not to be taken lightly is that, unlike with aluminium, stainless steel moka pots are dishwasher-safe. Most will be compatible with all heat sources, including induction.

Which heating method?

Obviously, if you decide to buy a moka pot, you can only choose from the models that are compatible with your kitchen facilities. For example, if you have an induction hob, you will need a cafetière that is especially designed to be compatible with induction.

For other heat sources (electric, glass ceramic, gas, etc…), you can choose any moka pot you like, including moka pots made for induction.

Which design? The look of the cafetière will no doubt play an important part in your choice. Depending on your personal tastes, you may prefer the retro style of the Bialetti Moka Express, the elegance of the Bialetti Kitty or even a more colourful option like the Red Moka Express. Of course, what your cafetière looks like does not affect the quality of your coffee. So simply follow your heart’s desire! A moka pot is a small appliance, so you needn’t worry about it taking up too much of your space. You could even use it to decorate your kitchen!

Recipe: how to make a great cup of coffee with a moka pot

Taking care of your moka pot

You should regularly clean your moka pot to get the best results from it. And beware: if your cafetière is made of aluminium, only clean it using water. Please note that almost all the individual parts on your moka pot can be changed:

• The gasket/joint: to be changed when you see that the filter is dry, damaged or your cafetière is leaking.
• The filter: generally sold with the gasket/joint, the filter needs to be changed as soon as you notice any rusting or limescale deposit.
• The funnel: like the filter, this needs to be changed when you notice any rusting or deposit.
• The handle: because accidents do happen! 🙂

You will need to use coffee ground specifically for a moka pot. If you don’t, your moka pot will not work properly. If the ground coffee is too fine, the water will have trouble coming through, if it is too coarse, the water will pass too quickly and you will get a weak coffee. Why not grind your own coffee for freshness? A decent manual coffee grinder will be easy to store and convenient for grinding the small amount of coffee needed for your moka pot.